Google get tough with App Developers

Google get tough with App Developers

Last Friday, Google announced some tweaks to the Google Play policies, with the view to tighten up on sexually explicit content, app promotions and potentially deceptive in-app advertisements. Developers have just 15 days to make these changes, with the threat of non-compliant apps being removed from the store.

Focus is on removing shady app developer tricks, such as making advertisements look like system dialogue boxes or other aspects of an app’s user interface, tracking consumers’ usage or locations without proper permission, or making modifications to the browser on behalf of advertisers or third parties.

These new policies signal a sea-change for Google which has always shown a less restrictive approach compared to Apple’s iTunes App Store since its inception. These liberal policies have resulted in Android apps being much more likely to be riddled with advertising and malware. Only time will tell how successful these new policies will be and the long term effect on Google Play.